Front and lock rod for switches



E. K. POST. FRONT, AND LOCK ROD FOR SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, I920. 4 3 SHEETSSHE ET 1..

E. K. PDST L FRONT AND LOCK ROD FOR SWITCHES. APPLICATION FILED NOV-l7, 1920.

1,426,097. Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m Jzveniw *3 E. K. POST. FRONT AND LOCK ROD FOR SWITCHES.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 1 1 Q Q Q kw mv Patnted Aug. 15,1922.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1920.

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FRONT AND LOCK ROD FUR SWITCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

Application filed. November 1'7, 1920. Serial No. 424,636.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Finnnsr K. Posr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Collingswood, in the county of Camden and tate of NW Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Front and Lock For for Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to front rods and lock rods which are used to unite the points of switches to locking bars.

The purpose of my invention is to form a combined front rod and lock rod which shall be simple in construction, rigid and effective and which shall be located as high in the ballast as possible to keep it out of the snow and ice.

A further purpose is to secure a lock rod directly to one of the switch polnts.

A further purpose is to extend a front rod connected to one switch point through beyond the otherswitch point as a lock rod, using an extension of the front rod to connect with the other point.

A further purpose is to provide for adjustment of the front and rear locking bar members close to the lock and outside of the track in which the switch is located for purposes of greater safety, and for speed and convenience in making adjustment.

Afurther purpose is to connect the two locking bars separately to the front rod or look rod so that the adjustment of neither affects the position. of the other.

A further purpose is to retain the locking bars in spaced positions'relatively while shifting them or the'lock rod bodily in a lateral direction with respect to one another.

A further purpose-is to make the front rod reversible in position, so that it may be locked. at either side of the track.

A further purpose is to provide additional clearance of the lock. rod connection with the front rod from the head tie of the switch.

Further purposes will appear in the specifica-tion and in the claims.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention by but one general form, though two varieties of it are shown in the illustration, selecting a form which has proved to be practical, efiicient, simple, reliable, andinexpensive andwhich at the same time well illustrates the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of this preferred form of my invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the track, including an elevation of my novel combined front and lock rod and locking bars seen in F igure 1.

Figure 3 is a broken side elevation of the oint between the lock rod and the locking bars seen in Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a section upon line 1at of F igure 2.

Figures 5, 6, 7 and 8 are perspectives of a spacing plate, the main front rod and lock rod, the extension front rod and a second spacing plate, respectively.

Figure 9 is atop plan view corresponding to Figure 1, but showing a modification.

Figure 10 is a transverse section, on line 1010 of the structure Seen in Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a section upon line 1111 of Figure 10.

In the drawings similar numerals indicate like parts.

In the previous front rods and lock rods used, for example, upon the Pennsylvania Railroad System, a great deal of difficulty has been experienced because of the fact that one or both of the rods and connecting parts lie so low down in the track as to be seriously affected by snow and ice, so that many men must be employed in the cold weather in going from switch to switch and digging the parts out to free them so that the switches may be operated. With some forms there has been further difiiculty because the switch points at the top have such a leverage upon parts of the front rod and connections that an object lying between the top of the switch point and the rail will cause serious tipping of the switch point away from the rail, allowing the locking bars to register andlocking to take place when the top of the switch point has not been fully driven. home against the rail. The adjustment for the locking bars has also been spaced excessively from the point at which locking takes place.

There has also been excessive interference of the parts with tamping of the ties; and the laterally projecting parts of the lock rod have required excessive room for movement through the cover over the switch mechanism. My invention has been directed to the improvement or avoidance of these conditions.

In the drawings the rails are shown at 6, 6, the head tie is dotted at 7 and the switch points are seen at 8, 8. Reinforcing straps the rail point in the illustration.

at 9, 9, as usual extend substantially the length of the switch and stiffen and support the points.

My combined front and lock rod is shown at 10 as connected at its bent end 11 with a switch point. From the standpoint of rigid fastening I consider the reinforcing straps 9, 9 as effectively switch points, and that it is immaterial whether the connection be made directly with the points or with the points through the straps. There is an advantage in making the bend of the end of the rod 10 abrupt enough so that in effect the end of the rod abuts the rail point, giving as little room for torsion between the end 11 and the body of the rod as convenient. In order to give as great resistance as possible against tilting or tipping by reason of objects between the upper edge 12 of the switch point 8 and the head 13 of the rail, I make my front rod of a strip of metal which is wider than it is thick and with the width arranged vertically, with the result that tipping is substantially eliminated.

The front rod 10 is extended beneath the rail 6 as at 14:, to form a part at least of the lock rod. Owing to my construction it can lie very close to the rail. The extension between the tracks may be lifted slightly above this portion 1 1, if desired, as at 15 getting it a little further away from the snow and ice, ordinarily requiring a slight dip such as shown at 15 in the rod.

The same reason that makes it desirable to have the end of the lock rod 14 effectively connected with the switch point 8, makes it desirable to have the other front rod connection of the same character. I secure this by an auxiliary or extension front rod 10, also a flat strip, effectively secured to the switch point 8, the end of the rod (strip) 10 being parallel with the switch rod as at 11; for connection therewith in the same manner as the end of the rod 10 is bent for attachment to the switch points by bolts 16. This auxiliary rod also substantially abuts The bolt holes 17 in the ends of the rod and auxiliary are elongated to afford room for adjustment, and the bolts are passed through a washer 18 whose holes 18' maintain the spacing of the bolts through the rails. The two parts 11 and 11 thus both become terminals of the combined lock rod and front rod.

Both parts of the front rod are bent as at 19, 19 to bring the body of the combined rod to the desired level where it extends across the track. The bends at 19, 19are diagonal and, in this most favorable construction, extend toward the upper parts of the corresponding switch points, so that tiltingof the points brings a direct compressive strain upon the metal of this diagonal part of the rod. The faces 20, 21 of the facing sides of the auxiliary strip and'of the front rod are ribbed or serrated so as to interfit, as seen in Figures 1, 6 and 7. They are held by bolts 24, passing through openings. For each bolt one of the openings is elongated.

There is thus formed a simple, rigid front rod, having end attachment with both switch points, quick and easy of adjustment to take up wear and particularly stiff against strain due to tilting of the switch points. It also extends beyond. the track forming a lock rod for attachment to the locking bars. a

In these figures thereis no adjustment between the switch point 8 and the portion 14 of the combined front and lock rods, and, as I attach the locking bars independently, I avoid having the adjustment of one looking bar change the position of the other locking bar. The two locking bars are mounted and their adjustment upon the combined front and lock rod; is made at a point outside of the track to which the switch points belong relieving the man who makes the adjustment from danger of being run down by a train and bringing the adjoining points so near to the actual locking notches of the bars that the effect of the adjustment may be watched from the point at which the adjustment is made. This greatly reduces the labor and inconvenience of adjustment and is likely to secure greater exactness of adjustment than would otherwise be attained in practice.

The lug 25 connects the front locking bar 26 and rearlocking bar 27 to the lock rod. The joint between the lug and the lock rod stiffened by fitting the lock rod 14 within a pocket 28 in. the lug. This pocket lies between a flange 29 and the upper connecting member 30, so that the sides of the lug take part of the strain away from the bolt 2-31. A spring washer 32 is shown.

The threaded ends 33 and 34 of the locking bars pass through elongated holes 35 in the lug, permitting lateral adjustment of the ends, and they are maintained in spaced relation by the spacing of holes 37 in a spacing plate 37. The ends of'the locking bars are adjusted longitudinally and independently by nuts 38, and are locked in longitudinal adjustment by lock nuts.

In order to obtain reliable retention in lateral adjustment themeeting faces of the plate37 and lug are serrated or otherwise roughened at 39 so that the plate will be held firmly by the nuts 38.

My invention is suitable for use with loclringgbars having the same character and arrangement of locking recesses 40, 41, 42, 1-3, as in existing bars.

In the form shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11 the construction has been modified in order to make the bar capable of right and left use to avoid the necessity for making and carrying the additional supplies of rods required by the first form for both right and left hand throwing; and the locking bars have been altered slightly in order to give greater spacing from the head tie.

The front rod 10 is extended beneath the rail 6 as in the previous form but lacks the bend at lSQbeing made straight in Order that it may be extended at either side while facing in the same direction. Instead of the integral connection between it and the terminal 11 a joint is made between serrated facing sides with a separate member and the parts are made longitudinally adjustable by locating the holes in the same manner to permit such movement as in the joint between the rod and the entension 10 in Figure 1.

Because this adjustment for the one terminal 23' is located at the end of rod 10 it is not necessary to make the joint for the other terminal adjustable and the connection between the rod 10 and terminal 23 may be fixed in position. For this reason no adjust ment is shown there.

Because the rail ends may creep to different extents in this form I have shown the rod 10 as lighter than the auxiliary rods 23 and 523 giving greater flexibility at the same time that requisite strength may be provided. 7

In order to provide a little more space between the head tie and the locking bars, I omit the lateral adjustment of the locking bars which is shown in Figure 1. and also the plate 37 by which the spacing is maintained in that figure; and I also show the bend of the locking bars wholly in the bar 26 as at 26 connecting the locking bar 27 straight through.

It will be obvious that the changes made in the second form accomplish benefit along one line. at the same time that they are not so desirable from other standpoints.

It will be obvious that my invention may he changed to suit the preference of the designer in the light of my disclosure, and I desire to include all such changes herein as fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1 1. A pair of switch rail points, a front rod therefor, comprising a strip extending transversely of the track and beyond the track at one side, having an end thereof turned parallel with the rail points and adapted to be connected thereto, an auxiliary strip connected with the main strip at an intermediate point, extending parallel therewith and bent parallel with the switch points for connection with the other point, and means for connecting the two strips.

2. A pair of switch points and a front rod comprising a strip bent parallel to the point at one end and there secured to the one point, having a greater width, arranged vertically, than thickness, extending downwardly toward the track, at a lower level than the switch point and then across the track beneath the other switch point and. an auxiliary strip extending part way along with and secured to the first strip departing from it upwardly and bent parallel to the second switch point for attachment to it.

3. A'front rod for switches comprising a rod bent at one end for direct attachment to one switch point and extending downwardly and across the track beneath the second switch point, an auxiliary rod extending in part parallel with and united to the first rod and departing from the first rod and bent to engage with and to be united to the second switch point, and means for longitudinal adjustment in the joint between the rods.

4:. A front rod section for switch points attached to one of the switch points, extending integrally across the track and extended outside the track to form a lock rod, locking bars, an adjustment outside the track between the lock rod and locking bars and an auxiliary front rod united to the front rod section and rigidly united to the second point.

5. A pair of switch points, a front rod section connected to one switch point and extended beyond the track to form a lock rod, a pair of locking bars and separately adjustable connectionsbetween the locking bars and the lock rod section.

6. A pair of switch points, a front rod section connected to one switch point and extended beyond the track to form a lock rod, a pair of locking bars and separately adjustable connections between the locking bars and the lock rod section located outside the track.

7. A pair of switch points, a front rod extending outside of the track connections therefrom to the switch points, a'lug attached to the extended rod outside the track having a pair of openings therein, parallel locking bars having threaded ends passing through the openings and nuts upon the threaded ends for connection and independent adjustment of the threaded ends of the two locking bars.

8. A pair of switch points, a front rod extending outside of the track connections therefrom to the switch points, a lug attached to the extended rod outside the track having a pair of elongated openings therein, parallel locking bars having threaded ends passing; through the openings, nuts upon the tl'ireaded ends for eminection and independent adjustment of the tl'ireaded ends of the two-locking bars and a spacing device for maintaining the spacing-rot the ends while permitting their lateral adjustment.

9. A combined front rod section and lock rod extending integrally from position parallel to and closely adjacent to a switch point on one side of the track to a point beyond the track on the other side connections therefrom to the second switch point, a pair of locking bars and adjustable connection between the lock rod outside of the track and the locking bars.

10. A front lock rod for switch points, extending through beneath one switch point from outside the track, of greater width than thickness and having the width vertical and connected with each of the switch points by strips of similar section, whereby the rod between the points and the connections form the front rod.

11. A front and lock rod for switch points in combination with a pair of locking bars independently connected to the lock rod.

12. A front and lock rod for switch points in combination with a pair of locking bars independently connected to the lock rod and adjustable separately therewith.

13. A front and lock rod for switch points, the lock rod extending outside the track, in combination with a pair of locking bars in dependently connected to the lock rod.

14. A front and lock rod for switch points, the lock rod extending outside the track, in combination with a pair of locking bars independently connected to the lock rod and adjustable separately therewith.

' ERNEST K. POST. 

